Georgia state senator Fran Millar stated in a post on his Facebook profile that he didn’t want black residents in Dekalb County, Georgia to vote, and insisted he “would prefer more educated voters” in response to a decision to have early voting on Sundays at a mall which was near some black mega-churches.

No, this isn’t made up, and I even saved a screenshot in case he deletes his post or even his Facebook account. Millar, a Republican representing Georgia’s 40th district in the state senate, made the outrageous remarks on Tuesday, obviously unaware or not caring that there’s this thing known as the Internet through which you can end a political career very quickly. Don’t believe me, just ask Anthony Weiner who got caught showing a body part of the same name via Twitter.

From Talking Points Memo:

“I do agree with Galloway and I never claimed to be nonpartisan,” Millar wrote. “I would prefer more educated voters than a greater increase in the number of voters. If you don’t believe this is an efort [sic] to maximize Democratic votes pure and simple, then you are not a realist. This is a partisan stunt and I hope it can be stopped. Furthermore I don’t control where people are allowed to vote but am glad Brookhaven has been added for the last week.”

That comment came a few hours after Millar published his longwinded email about an appointee of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (R) who “has disappointed those of us that hoped he could bring the county together.” Millar, in that same email, said that he talked with another lawmaker about ending early voting there. (Source)

Now, I’m going to have to go out on a limb here and give Senator Fran Millar a little bit of credit for being honest enough to say what many members of his party have thought all along. Ever since angry Southern Democrats began leaving in droves for the Republican Party following Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Richard Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” in 1968, there has been a push within the party to attempt to disenfranchise as many black voters as possible. The Republican Party, which just a century before had fought to end slavery, was now trying to keep the descendents of those slaves from voting.

Of course, outrightly prohibiting minorities from voting today would cause an uproar around the country and it would certainly bring the Department of Justice, the ACLU and more lawsuits than you could find lawyers for down on the lawmakers of any state that would even attempt something so asinine. Prior to the Civil Rights Act, direct disenfranchisement techniques were used to keep black voters away from the polls – up to and including threats and acts of violence or even death. Right down the road from me in Opelousas, Louisiana, as many as 150 black citizens were massacred in 1868 for engaging in political action. This event was known as the Opelousas Massacre and it was one of many incidents over the past century and a half since the Civil War in which white conservatives attempted to suppress the black vote.

Since they can no longer use poll taxes or other forms of voter suppression from the past, Republicans like Fran Millar now try to close voting places, demand strict ID laws to combat voter fraud that doesn’t exist, or shorten the time in which people can vote. Which really makes me wonder, if the Republican Party has so many wonderful ideas and isn’t racist – why the hell do they complain about minorities voting?

As I said before, kudos to Sen. Fran Millar for openly saying what we knew all along. The Republican Party truly does not represent the interests of anyone who isn’t wealthy and able to cast a vote at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon in the one remaining polling place inside of the country club.

Comment from Sen. Fran Millar’s Facebook profile

As this woman’s message to him says, nothing fires up voters than more than remarks like Senator Fran Millar’s. Are you angry? Then make sure you’re registered to vote and get to the polls this November. We can turn the tide, but only if you vote. It’s a simple as that.